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Former Council Candidates Menchaca, Tahilramani Endorse Andy Wilson in District 7 Runoff

Published : Wednesday, March 22, 2017 | 5:38 AM

Former District 7 Candidates Alejandro (Alex) Menchaca, at left, and Sheena Tahilramani, at right, give the thumbs up to run-off candidate Andy Wilson, at center.

[Editor's Note: This story has been changed since it first appeared. The original version contained comments attributed to Sheena Tahilramani have been removed.]

Two former candidates for City Council endorsed Councilmember Andy Wilson for the District 7 seat in the upcoming April runoff election. Wilson, who is the incumbent, is facing challenger Phil Hosp.

Alejandro (Alex) Menchaca and Sheena Tahilramani finished third and fifth, respectively, in the March 7th primary election for the same District Council seat and thus did not qualify for the runoff.

Earlier a fourth candidate in the District race, Bryan Witt, announced he is supporting Phil Hosp for the seat.

In the announcement from Wilson’s campaign, both Menchaca and Tahilramani are quoted as urging friends and supporters to join them in voting for Wilson.

Alex Menchaca, a Democrat, whose campaign emphasized such issues as walkability and the environment, issued this statement:

“Andy Wilson has my enthusiastic support for City Council. Over the course of the campaign, I found Andy to be a man of integrity. His qualifications and accomplishments are outstanding. He also demonstrated an understanding of Pasadena’s diversity and a commitment to inclusiveness for all residents – both very important issues to me. Andy shares my vision of a more walkable, dynamic, and diverse District 7. Please join me in voting for Andy.”

Sheena Tahilramani, a Republican, whose campaign focused on social media, expressed her support this way:

“I’ve been impressed by Andy Wilson’s depth of knowledge on the issues, by his determination to protect the quality of life in our neighborhoods – and, most of all, by his willingness to engage with those who may disagree with him. Andy is easy to reach, easy to talk to and he really listens – respectfully and with an open mind. Andy has also been straightforward about his qualifications and has run a positive campaign on the issues. Sadly, neither can be said of his run-off opponent. There’s a sharp contrast in this race and Wilson is the clear choice.”

Both candidates reportedly emphasized that they had spent a great deal of time with the run-off contenders.

“We all attended many public forums together,” said Menchaca, “so we heard them present their platforms and their qualifications. I was always impressed with Andy’s erudite knowledge of the issues. I also admired his ability to focus on the best in Pasadena’s heritage and traditions, while also articulating a forward- thinking vision for our future.”

Wilson expressed his gratitude to both former candidates.

“One of the great pleasures of this campaign has been getting to know Alex and Sheena,” Wilson said. “The three of us often have different points of view, yet we share a mutual respect and a genuine passion for Pasadena. That’s exactly the unifying spirit I try to honor on the City Council. I’m proud and grateful to have their support.”